In preparation for a potential PG&E Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) anticipated to begin Thursday, Oct. 24, the County of San Mateo is encouraging residents to sign up for up-to-date alerts through PG&E and SMC Alert.
The County is one of 15 counties alerted by PG&E that portions may have power proactively turned off due to high winds and fire danger. Currently, PG&E is in “watch” status and anticipates deciding at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 23 if a PSPS will occur. Per PG&E, if a PSPS does happen in San Mateo County, the timeline is as follows:
· 1 a.m., Thursday, Oct. 24: PSPS begins
· Noon, Thursday, Oct. 24: Re-energization begins
As of Tuesday afternoon, PG&E estimates the potential PSPS would impact 907 customers total, including 15 medical baseline customers, in the areas of Woodside, La Honda and unincorporated San Mateo County in that area.
PG&E has assured the County that due to the smaller number of affected customers, re-energization should not take a long period of time.
The San Mateo County Office of Emergency Services is closely monitoring the situation and working closely with the potentially impacted areas, our public safety partners and agencies like CHP and Caltrans. Our goal now, as always, is ensuring our communities are informed, prepared and safe.
Please reserve 9-1-1 for emergencies only.
For potential facility or road closures in specific impacted jurisdictions, please visit those city or town websites.
For updates on power restoration, see PG&E’sPSPS website
For San Mateo County-specific emergency updates, enroll in SMC Alert at smcalert.info and follow the County at twitter.com/sanmateoco and facebook.com/CountyofSanMateo
For traffic updates on the surrounding area, visit 511.org.
See if an address may be impacted by a PSPS. Individuals may also enroll in PG&E alerts and check address impacts by texting “ENROLL” 97633 or calling 1-800-743-5000.
To prepare for the PSPS, PG&E is asking customers to:
· Update contact information at pge.com/mywildfirealerts or by calling 1-866-743-6589 during normal business hours. PG&E will use this information to alert customers through automated calls, texts, and emails, when possible, prior to, and during, a PSPS.
· Plan for medical needs like medications that require refrigeration or devices that need power.
· Identify backup charging methods for phones and keep hard copies of emergency numbers.
· Build or restock your emergency kit with flashlights, fresh batteries, first aid supplies and cash.
· Consider family members who are elderly, younger children and pets. Information and tips including a safety plan checklist are available at pge.com/wildfiresafety.
For more information on what to do before, during and after a Public Safety Power Shutoff, visit: https://www.pge.com/en_US/safety/emergency-preparedness/natural-disaster/wildfires/outage-readiness.page